"Back in 2004, a balloon was like 33 cents," he said. They are driving to multiple places where helium balloons were once plentiful - party stores, grocery stores and dollar stores - with no luck. In the meantime, p arty planning parents are going to great lengths to find stores selling helium. The higher the concentration of helium the more efficient it is to remove, so not every natural gas deposit is a candidate for helium extraction. Now, private industry, including Canadian company American Helium, and other countries, such as Qatar, are trying to find new sources of helium and build new plants to process the gas.Īnd even though helium comes out of the ground, it is mixed in with natural gas at varying concentrations. Military demands for helium continued during World War II, and during the Cold War, as the gas became important for aerospace, the space race with the Soviets and other scientific applications.īut by the 1990s, the federal government decided that it didn't need as much helium on hand, likely because airships and spacecraft were seen as less important to national security, and began drawing down the Texas gas reserves. The reason the Germans filled their dirigibles with flammable hydrogen instead of nonflammable helium was because the U.S., which had much of the world's helium, limited its export.
Back then, the gas was used for airships. The federal government started storing helium during World War I at the Cliffside Storage Facility near Amarillo, Texas, for national defense. Michigan teen made viral Buzzfeed quizzes for free. Still, scientists add, a helium shortage - which has been years in the making - is no laughing matter.Įven in a Michigan outdoor paradise, ticks are a growing public health threat They are colorful, festive, and - in comparison to flowers, cheap. And there's another party benefit: When the gas is inhaled, you sound like a "Wizard of Oz" Munchkin. "As simple as balloons are, they are an absolute staple for parties of all different kinds, from little children’s parties to adult anniversary parties.”īalloons make dull rooms come alive, said the 51-year-old Rochester Hills mother. "It’s definitely a bad thing," said Laurie Sigelko, who has been struggling to find helium-filled balloons for weeks. Helium is getting hard to find these days, and it’s ruining parties for people of all ages. No helium, of course, means no helium balloons, and what's a celebration without balloons?Īmong moms who are trying to plan graduation parties and end of the year school events, the worldwide helium shortage has been a hot topic, especially on parent blogs and at PTA meetings.
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